Warning

One of the most fascinating aspects of being in the bush must be a sense of the unknown.

Tracking animals and eventually finding them feels like one of the most rewarding activities. My Friday morning started with some signs of elephants and there was word that they were fairly deep into the reserve. So this became the mission for the day.

After some time trying to navigate the map and following piles of dung, a trumpeting call echoed through the bush. I stumbled across a small herd of around five elephants. They seemed really relaxed and content.

I watched as they casually fed amongst the trees and slowly made their way across the road and back. All of a sudden, a young male bull emerged from the thicket and wanted to investigate. These young guys are rather haughty and love trying to intimidate you with any chance they get. It approached the safari vehicle, flapped its ears, grabbed a trunk full of sand and threw it all over the vehicle.

Feeling very proud with its accomplishments, the youngster walked past me and wandered off into the bush.
It still amazes me how quiet and stealthy these giant beasts are. Sometimes they’ll be standing right next to you in between some bushes and you can hardly see or hear them. If it wasn’t for the cracking of branches and the odd rumbling, it would be as if they were nonexistent.